Demand Accountability for DOJ Cuts to Child Exploitation Investigations

The 2025 National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation was cancelled without explanation. This annual conference provides critical technical training to prosecutors and law enforcement on investigating online crimes against children. Federal prosecutors now operate under austerity measures that deny nearly all travel requests for training, trial preparation, and victim meetings, creating direct roadblocks to prosecuting child predators. The 61 Internet Crimes Against Children taskforces have been left without funding for essential personnel, software, hardware, and investigative tools. Law enforcement officials report being forced to make cuts and seek alternative funding while child predators increasingly use AI applications to groom and target children. The lack of training leaves investigators unable to keep pace with developments in digital forensics and new investigative techniques. The DOJ has also halted its three annual meetings with ICAC taskforce commanders, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children, and tech companies, disrupting collaborative efforts to protect children. Meanwhile, the DOJ remains in violation of the law Congress passed requiring release of full investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex trafficker. This administration has refused to comply with this congressional mandate. I expect you to demand immediate restoration of funding for ICAC taskforces, reinstatement of the National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation, and reversal of travel restrictions that prevent prosecutors from doing their jobs. Additionally, I expect Congress to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi and other DOJ officials accountable through contempt proceedings for ignoring the Epstein files law. These cuts leave children vulnerable, victims without justice, and undermine the very law enforcement this administration claims to support.